Cover lock for storage batteries



Jan- 9, 1940- L. E. PUCHER 2,186,147

covEn Locx Fon STORAGE BATTERIES y 'Filed sept. 4, 193'? l5" 12 f!" l/ll ff ff NQ@ 15A L 14*L a L fa@ l INVENTOR Planea Ju. 9, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l v2,186,147 'l I I v m LOCK FOI! STORAGE BATTERIES Leo E. mener, cleveland, ohio, signor to Willard Storage Battery Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of West l Applicationfseptember 4, 1937, Serial No.'162,497 1 Claim. (Cl. 13B-170) This invention relates to storage batteries and particularly to what may be aptly termed acover lock to prevent the cover from being pushed upwardly and the consequent breakage or loosening 5. of the sealing compound which normally seals the cover in place inthe upper-part of *the container.

I have found that occasionally, and'particularly when the cover is integrally lmited with 1u the terminal posts, as by being lead-burnedto lead sealing sleeves embedded .in the cover,rthe battery element within the cell apparently, by

reason of growth on the plates or loose element,

- cells or a plurality of'covers individual to the difpushes the cover upwardly and' loosens the seallo ing`compound,thus destroying the seal and makr ing it possible for electrolyte to leakv from-the The principal objectl oi the present invention is to provide a cover lock which holds the cover l 20 down in place and therefore overcomes the objection mentioned above.

Preferably 1 attain this objectby providing aA cover lock in the form of locking strips ,which are iltted or located between the flange at the 25 lower edge of the cover and'abutments of the battery caseorintothewall ofthecase. 'I'hese locking strips may be formed in various ways and, after the cover is in place, may be inserted and moved to locking position in different ways, :Solas will be described in detail hereinafter.

'Ihe invention. may be further briefly summarized as in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described inV the: 35 Vspeciiicaton and set forth in the appended '45 before being moved to-locklng position; Flg."3 is a similar view with the locking strip moved to locking position and with the sealing compound applied;

Fig. 4 is 'a fragmentary elevation of Ythe upper 50 portion of a battery looking ltoward the end of the cover with the cover lock in place;

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are fragmentary plan views showing a modification; Fig. 5 showing the cover.

located in the top of the cell compartment but u omitting the lockingl strip; Fig. 6 showing the locking strip inserted but not yet in lockingposi-V tion; and Hg. '7 showing the locking strip moved laterally to locking position; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to lig.` 3 showing the locking strip in' locking position. 5 Y The present invention is susceptible of many modications not only in the form and the manner of application of the locking strips but also in their number and location with respect to the sides and ends of the cover. For example, the 10 invention is applicable to a. battery havin-g a. singie` cell and therefore a single cover, or to a multi-cell battery having one cover for all the ferent cells. Furthermore, the number of lockl5 ing strips may be varied as found desirable or necessary. For example, the cover may be locked Y in position by two or these strips applied to the ends of the cover or by two of them applied to the sides of the cover, or by strips applied to --both the sides andthe ends or to the sides and one end, or to the ends and one side. In some instances it may be desired to ,use a. single locky ing strip, as, for example, by slipping one end of the cover in a slot or under a xed abutment at one end of the cell compartment and holding the other end down by one of the locking strips.

I have shown two forms of my invention in "both of which the locking strips are moved to l the battery case, in one instance by moving the strips outwardly transversely of the ange, and in the other instance by moving them laterally lengthwise .thereof and lengthwise of the iiange on which they rest. The iirst arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, andthe latter in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive.

In the drawing, I0 represents the battery case which, as before stated, may be for a. battery having a single cell or any number of cells, but in this instance, the case here shown is for a multi-cell battery'one of the cell covers-of which is illustrated at H. This cell cover hasthe usual skirt lia provided at the bottom with an out- 15 .wardly extending iiange Hb which in this instance rests upon a shoulder Ilia formed on the inner vside of the case a distance from the top thereof vequal substantially to the height of the cover il. The cover is provided with a vent 5"; plug V and with openings for the terminal pests P which may be sealed in the cover in any cf the usual ways and may be integrally fastened thereto as when lead-burned to sealing sleeves embedded in the cover. The cover is sealed in the 5f* case I4 are provided near the top and above a case or compartment by sealing compound which is indicated at I2 in Figs. 3 and 8.

' In the embodiment shownA in Figs. 1 to 4, the cover locks consist of strips I3 which may be formed of hard rubber and which arev placed down on the lower marginal iiange IIb of the cover before the sealing compound I2 is applied in the manner indicated in Fig. 2, and are then moved outwardly to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 in slots Illb which are of suitable length and'depth to accommodate the strips I3 and are formed on the inner wall of the easel/or compartment thereof above the shoulder I0a a distance equal substantially to the thickness of the cover.

After the strips have been moved outwardly, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the sealing compound I2 l is applied and the latter will, of course, prevent dislodgment of the locking strips. The slots Illb may be formed in the case or container III when the latter is molded or may be subsequently milled therein. In Fig. 1 the locking strips are applied to the ends and one side of the cover, but. as already stated, their number and their -points of application may be varied as desired.

. In Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, the inner walls of the cover supporting shoulder Ila with short guide ribs Mb, these guide ribs Mb terminating a short distance above the lower marginal iiange l5a of the cover here designated I5 when the latter is resting on the shoulder Ila of the case. 'Ihe cover is provided with notches 15b (see Fig. 5) so that it may be slipped down onto the shoulder Ila. After the cover is placed in position and rests on the shoulder Ila, locking strips I6 which are also notched at Ita. to accommodatethe ribs I lb are slipped down over the ribs onto the ilange I5a of the cover. 'I'hen the strips I6 are moved to locking position by moving them endwise along the iiange from the position shown in Fig. 7 so lthat the notches IGa are no.A longer in alignment with the ribs Mb'. Thus the lower ends of the ribs form abutments which, through the medium of the locking strips, prevent upward movement of the cover. After the strips have been moved to locking position, as shown in Fig. '7, the sealing compound I2 is applied, and here again it functions not only to seal the cover against leakage but also to hold the locking strips against displacement from locking position. 'Ihe ribs IIb and the locking strips I6 may be provided where needed, as in the first instance.

Thus it will be seen that with either form of the invention herein illustrated the cover is effectively locked against upward movement so that the danger of breaking or loosening of the sealing compound I2 and leakage of the electrolyte are avoided. I do not desire to be conned to the details herein illustrated and described but aim inmy claim to cover all modications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope-of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A storage battery comprising a case having a cover ledge beneath the top thereof and having ribs formed on its inner wall and terminating 'a predetermined distance above the cover ledge. a cover having a skirt portion with a lower marginal iiange resting upon the ledge, the flange having notches to permit the cover to be lowered into the upper part of the battery casev past said ribs, a cover lock in the form of a stripresting on and extending lengthwise of the cover flange and having portions lying between the latter and the lower ends of said ribs, said strip having notches corresponding in width and spacing to the ribs whereby the strip may be inserted from the top of the battery over the ribs down onto the iiange and then. slid endwise under the ribs -until the notches are out of register with the ribs,

and sealing compound lling the space between the upper part of the case and the skirt portion of the cover and embedding the locking strip.

LEO E. PUCHER. 

